Bieber and girlfriend Selena Gomez were said to be leaving a shopping center when the trouble began. Witnesses claim they saw the teen idol rush from a van for a face-to-face confrontation with a photographer who'd been seen taking photos of the young couple.

Deputies were called to the scene, but witnesses revealed that Bieber and Gomez left before they arrived.

According to a press release from the Malibu Sheriff's Office, the photographer reported that the singer "physically battered" him during the confrontation.

The man was treated and then released from an area hospital.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident and plans to speak to the singer.

While there's been no official word about the incident from Beiber's camp, he took to Twitter in the early hours of Monday and told his followers that he was "gonna focus on the important stuff. the music."